How To Safely Jump Start A Vehicle With A Dead Battery & The Correct Way To Hook Up Jumper Cables, by Stan Cravens on YouTube. 6 min 43 s.
- Video length
- 6 min 43 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Park the good car close to the dead one but not touching. Turn both engines off, set the parking brakes and open both hoods.
Find the positive and negative battery terminals. Look for the plus and minus marks and check that the battery is not cracked, leaking or frozen.
Clamp one end of the red cable to the positive terminal of the dead battery. Make sure the clamp bites metal and does not touch anything else.
Clamp the other end of the red cable to the positive terminal of the good battery.
Clamp one end of the black cable to the negative terminal of the good battery.
Clamp the other end of the black cable to bare metal on the dead car, such as an engine bracket or strut bolt. Do not connect it to the dead battery.
Start the good car and let it run for a minute or two. Then start the dead car.
Once the dead car runs, remove the cables in reverse order: black from the car, black from the good battery, red from the good battery, red from the dead battery.
Keep the revived car running or drive it for at least 20 minutes to recharge the battery.
Tips and common mistakes
Never let the red and black clamps touch each other while any end is connected.
Connect the last black clamp to bare metal, not the dead battery, to reduce the risk of sparks near hydrogen gas.
Wear safety glasses and keep your face away from the battery while connecting cables.
If the dead car still will not start, stop and check the connections before trying again.
Questions
Can I jump start a car with a portable jump starter?
Yes. Connect the red clamp to the positive terminal and the black clamp to a metal ground, then turn the unit on and start the car. Recharge the pack afterward.
What gauge jumper cables should I buy?
Lower gauge numbers mean thicker wire. A 4 or 6 gauge cable is a good choice for most cars, while thin 10 gauge cables may struggle with larger engines.
Why not connect the black cable to the dead battery?
The final connection can spark. Attaching it to bare metal away from the battery keeps sparks away from battery gas.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
